A domain name is a Web address. The domain name
is mapped to an IP address (which represents a physical point on the Internet).
Thus a domain name locates an organization or other entity on the Internet.
When someone types a domain name into a Web browser, the requested Web
page will open. For example, the domain name www.yourdomain.com locates
an Internet address for "yourdomain.com."
A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. The
"com" part of the domain name generally reflects the type or
purpose of the organization or entity and is called the top-level domain
(TLD) name. The part of the domain name located to the left of the dot
(" . ") — "yourdomain" in this case — is
called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name
— being the "readable" part of the address — refers
to the organization or entity behind the Internet address.
Second-level domain names must be unique on the Internet and registered
with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)-accredited
registrar.
A top-level domain is the part of the domain
name located to the right of the dot (" . "). The most common
TLDs are .com, .net and .org. Several new top-level domains have been
added to the menu recently, including, .biz, .info, .name, and .ws. The
top-level domains have certain guidelines attached, but are for the most
part available to any registrant, anywhere in the world. Exceptions are
the restricted TLDs (rTLDs) — which include .aero, .biz, .edu, .mil,
.museum, .name, and .pro — that require the registrant to represent
a certain type of entity, or to belong to a certain community. The .name
TLD is available strictly for individuals, while .edu is reserved for
educational entities, such as universities or high schools. Where appropriate,
a top-level domain name can be of geographic significance and hence only
available to registrants in the locale defined by the TLD. These are called
country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) and include such top-level domains as .bz (Belize),.ca
(Canada), .dk (Denmark), .ec (Ecuador), ie (Republic of Ireland), .uk
(United Kingdom), .us (United States), and .zw (Zimbabwe).
Located immediately to the left of the dot
(" . "), the second-level domain is the "readable"
part of the domain name. The second-level domain is entirely defined by
the registrant, and often refers to the organization or entity associated
with the IP address. For example: In www.cnn.com "cnn" (Cable
News Network) is a second-level domain.
Second-level domains can be divided into further domain levels. For
example: www.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. These sub domains sometimes represent
different computer servers within departments.
More than one second-level domain name can be used for the same IP address.
The domain name system (DNS) enables each machine
connected on the Internet to be recognized by a domain name. Every computer
on the Internet has a unique IP (Internet protocol) address which consists
of a string of numbers. Since the IP addresses can be difficult to remember,
the DNS allows a familiar string of letters (the "domain name")
to be used instead of the IP address. So instead of typing the IP address'
arcane string of numbers you can type, for example, "www.espn.com."
The Internet domain name system (DNS) consists
of a directory, organized hierarchically, of all the domain names and
their corresponding computers registered to particular companies and persons
using the Internet. When you register a domain name, it will be associated
with the computer on the Internet you designate during the period the
registration is in effect.
Note that the above description applies to domains that are registered
and hosted. If the registrant elects to, a domain can instead be registered
and parked. A parked domain name does
not need a DNS affiliation.
A name server is a computer that contains a
list of domain names and their associated IP addresses. When a domain
name is typed in a Web browser's address bar, the name server associates
that domain name with its IP address, and the correct Web site —
barring any unforeseen difficulties — opens in the Web browser window.
What do .com, .net, .org, .biz,
.info, .ws, and .us represent?
.com — ("commercial") The most
common extension for domain names. Often represents companies or for-profit
organizations. Most personal Web sites also use this extension.
.net — Generally represents Internet Service Providers (ISPs), but
is often used by other entities and organizations too.
.org — Usually represents non-profit organizations or groups.
.biz — ("business") Reserved for use by businesses.
.info — Made for both businesses and individuals. Usage is unrestricted,
but a .info TLD indicates that the Web site primarily is informative.
.ws — (Web site) An all-around, universally available top-level domain.
.us — Country-code top-level domain available for registrants in
the United States.
What are the rules for registration
of .biz, .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws names?
The .com, .info, .net, .org, and .ws TLDs are
globally available and unrestricted. Traditionally, however, names in
.net have been used by organizations involved in Internet infrastructure
activities — typically ISPs (Internet Service Providers) — while
.org is frequently used by noncommercial organizations. .biz is available
to businesses only. Albeit unrestricted, usage of the .info TLD implies
that the site content is of a primarily informative nature.
The U.S. Nexus Requirement is intended to ensure
that only those individuals or organizations that have a substantive connection
to the United States are permitted to register for .us domain names. To
qualify for a .us domain name under the Nexus requirements, you must be
either:
A natural person (i) who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United
States of America or any of its possessions or territories, or (ii) whose
primary place of domicile is in the United States of America or any of
its possessions,
or
An entity or organization that is (i) incorporated within one of the
fifty (50) U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or any of the United
States possessions or territories or (ii) organized or otherwise constituted
under the laws of a state of the United States of America, the District
of Columbia or any of its possessions or territories,
or
An entity or organization (including a federal, state, or local government
of the United States, or a political subdivision thereof) that has a bona
fide presence in the United States.
The sponsored top-level domains .aero, .coop,
.museum, and .pro. require the registrant to be member of or affiliated
with specific communities, and are therefore not accessible to the general
public. The .aero TLD, for example, requires the registrant to prove membership
of the aviation community. Similarly, .gov and .mil are reserved for the
U.S. Government, and U.S. Military, respectively, while .edu is restricted
to educational entities.
Country-code TLDs outside the United States are also excluded
Please follow the below steps to register
a domain name.
i.)Check Availability
Type the desired domain name in the search box and select the preferred
extension from the drop-down list; then click "Check Availability"
to see if the requested name is available for you to register. If the
requested domain is available you may continue signing up the domain by
clicking "Continue." You will be presented with all available
variations of the desired domain name (i.e. .biz, .com, .info, .net, org,
.ws extensions). You can select any of the displayed variations.
If the domain is not available you will instead be presented with any
available alternate versions of the domain name. Typically, this means
that you'll be offered the same second-level domain name, but with a different
top-level domain. If you don't like any of the suggestions, you can pick
another domain name and check its availability.
ii.)Log In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name, you must
first create an account. To do so, define your user name and password,
and submit a valid email address so that the registrar can communicate
with you. If you are a returning user, enter your user name and password,
and click "Continue."
iii.)Select Length of Registration
Select the desired duration of your domain-name registration. In most cases,
you can register a domain name for 1-10 years. When you sign up for a domain,
you do not own that domain outright. You are in essence renting the use
of the domain name for a specified period of time.
iv.) Enter Contact Information
Enter your contact information. This information is used for administrative
purposes and must be kept current. You can have up to four different contacts
for your domain name:
Registrant — The person who
registers a domain name.
Administrative — The person
responsible for any administrative issues pertaining to the account.
Any administrative changes to the domain must be approved by the administrative
contact. The registrar will use this contact for any non-technical questions
regarding the domain name.
Billing — The person responsible
for all billing information relating to the domain name. The billing
contact will also receive invoices, charges and billing questions.
Technical — The person responsible
for providing technical data, including name-server information. The
registrar will contact this person with any questions of a technical
nature.
You must complete the Registrant part of the contact information form.
Completing the Administrative, Billing and Technical fields is optional.
If you wish to, you can instead elect to apply the registrant information
to the technical, administrative and billing contacts as well. Multiple
contacts are often used for companies where more than one person is
in charge of the Web site.
v.) Enter DNS Data For Hosting Account
Select one of the following options for the desired domain name(s):
Park domain.
Create "Domain for Sale" page.
Use one-page Web site.
Forward domain.
Forward with masking.
Host domain.
Enter name server information from other ISP.
If selecting the last option, your Web site host can provide the name
server information you need.
vi.) Confirm Registration Details
Confirm and verify your order details, read and accept the registration
agreement.
vii) Check Out, or Continue Shopping
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the contents
of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update Cart"
or "Shop More."
When you have completed the transaction, you will see a confirmation
page that displays your customer number and order number and provides
some general guidelines for account management. You will receive an email
notification confirming your order.
To find out if a domain name is available,
enter the desired second-level domain in the domain name search box; then
select the preferred extension (top-level domain) from the drop-down list.
Click "Check Availability" to instantly find out if the requested
domain is available. If it is, you may proceed to the next steps in the
registration procedure.
What can I do if the domain I want
is unavailable?
If the domain name you requested is already
taken you will be presented with any available alternatives (i.e. same
second-level domain, but with a different extension). For example, you
may be able to select a .info or .ws top-level domain, rather than the
requested .com. Thus you would be registering www.whatever.info, instead
of www.whatever.com. If none of the suggested alternatives are to your
liking, you can start over again and search for a different domain for
your future web site.
An alternative solution is to use DynaGen Advanced Search, which will
generate a list of variations of a desired domain name. You may pick any
of the available listings.
What do I enter as the contact
information for my domain name?
Enter your name, address, phone number, email
address, company affiliation, etc. Be sure to include accurate and updated
information. The registrar relies on this contact information if it needs
to reach you with issues concerning your domain name.
You must complete the Registrant part of the contact information form.
If you wish to, you can elect to apply the registrant information to the
technical, administrative and billing contacts as well.
Follow the below steps to renew a domain name
that is currently registered with this registrar.
Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name and
password. A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You can
also search for domain names by using the domain search function. Another
option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for a domain name
by selecting a registration or expiration time frame (e.g. "Past
7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
Click "Renew Domains."
Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
Click "Submit."
Finally, use the shopping cart to review your order and submit your
billing information.
Yes, you can perform this function from the
"Manage My Account" section of this site. To do so, click "Domain
Names," log in, and select from the list the domain you wish to cancel.
Next, click "Cancel Domains" and confirm the cancellation by
clicking "Yes, Cancel Domain(s) Now" button.
Note that canceling a domain-name registration is a permanent action and
you cannot undo this action. You may reregister this domain later for
a new registration fee.
I just purchased a domain name.
When can I begin using it?
A certain amount of time will elapse before
a domain is fully registered and thus active on the Internet. Generally,
allow 24-48 hours between purchase and activation. In the interim, you
will not be able to publish or view your site, receive email messages
or make use of your domain name. Similarly, if you make any changes to
your domain name, such as modifying the DNS or name servers attached to
your domain name, it will take up to 48 hours before the changes are implemented.
How do I transfer a domain name
from another registrar?
Please follow the steps below to transfer a
domain name from an existing account:
1.) Select Menu Item
Select "Transfer Domains" from the program menu.
Type Domain Name Type in the domain name you will be transferring and
the registrar from which the domain should be transferred; then click
"Transfer Domains." Please note that only domain names with
.com, .org, .net, and .info top-level domains can be transferred.
ii.) Log In
If this is the first time you have signed up for a domain name, you must
first create an account. To do so, define your user name and password,
and submit a valid email address so that the registrar can communicate
with you. If you are a returning user, enter your user name and password,
and click "Continue."
iii.) Enter Contact Information
This information is used for administrative purposes and must be kept
current. You can have up to four different contacts for your domain name:
Registrant — The person that
registers a domain name.
Administrative — The person
responsible for any administrative issues pertaining to the account.
Any administrative changes to the domain must be approved by the administrative
contact. The registrar will use this contact for any non-technical questions
regarding the domain name.
Billing — The person responsible
for all billing information relating to the domain name. The billing
contact will also receive invoices, charges and billing questions.
Technical — The person responsible
for providing technical data, including name-server information. The
registrar will contact this person with any questions of a technical
nature.
You must complete the Registrant part of the contact information form.
Completing the Administrative, Billing and Technical fields is optional.
If you wish to, you can instead elect to apply the registrant information
to the technical, administrative and billing contacts as well. Multiple
contacts are often used for companies where more than one person is in
charge of the Web site.
iv.) Enter Name Server Information
Enter the name server information for the domain you are transferring.
You may complete the domain-name transfer, even if you do not know the
existing name servers of the domain you wish to transfer. To do so, select
"Keep existing name servers," and we will retrieve the required
name-server information from the current registrar. Select the desired
duration of your domain-name registration. In most cases, you can register
a domain name for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 years. When you sign up for a domain,
you do not own that domain outright. You are in essence renting the use
of the domain name for a certain period of time.
v.) Confirm Registration Details
Review and verify your order details, and read and accept the registration
agreement.
vi.) Shopping Cart
Review your selections, submit the customer and credit card information
and click "Check Out." If you wish to add to or alter the contents
of your shopping cart, you may do so by selecting "Update Cart"
or "Shop More." When you have completed the transaction, you
will see a confirmation page that displays your customer number and order
number and provides some general guidelines for account management. You
will receive an email notification confirming your order.
What do I do if I don't know the
existing name servers of the domain I am transferring?
You may complete the domain-name transfer,
even if you do not know the existing name servers of the domain you wish
to transfer. To do so, follow the domain
transfer procedure. When prompted to enter the name server information,
select "Keep existing name servers," and we will retrieve the
required name server information from the current registrar.
How can I transfer my domain name
for more than one year?
When you transfer a domain your registration
is automatically extended one year. Once the transfer is completed you
can renew your domain name registration for up to 10 years. The transfer
takes 5- 7 business days. Once your domain name transfer is completed,
please follow these directions to renew the domain-name registration:
Select "Manage My Account" from the menu.
Click "Domain Names" and log in with your user name and
password. A list of your registered domains will be displayed.
From the list, select the domain name you wish to renew. You can
also search for domain names by using the domain search function. Another
option is Quick Search, which enables you to search for a domain name
by selecting a registration or expiration time frame (e.g. "Past
7 Days" or "Next 30 Days).
Click "Renew Domains."
Select the desired renewal period from the drop-down list.
Click "Submit."
Finally, visit the shopping cart to review your order and submit
your billing information.
My domain name is about to expire;
can I still transfer it?
That depends on the current registration's
expiration date. Close to the expiration date, domain names cannot be
transferred between registrars. Specifically, this registrar cannot process
transfers within 10 days of a domain's expiration
date.
Essentially, to park a domain name means to
reserve your registered domain until you have created the site content,
found a hosting provider, or sold the domain to a third party. When you
park your site, a temporary web page will be displayed until you have
decided what to do with the domain. Domain name parking is often used
by registrants who do not yet have a hosting provider.
Parking options include a one-page web site that'll inform the visitor
to the site that, for example, this page is "Under Construction,"
"Coming Soon," or "For Sale." You can also elect to
have a customized page displayed. To set up your parked domain, use the
One-Page Web Site Setup Wizard in the "Parked Pages" section
of the account management department.
Forwarding a domain name enables you to direct
incoming traffic from your domain to an already existing web site. Thus,
when someone attempts to access your site, he or she is automatically
redirected. Typically, this option is selected by users who are registering
a new domain, but are already hosting their files elsewhere. When the
domain name is forwarded, the destination address, not your domain name,
is displayed in the browser's address bar. This can be avoided by choosing
to forward with masking.
If you decide to forward with masking, visitors
are effectively kept from knowing they have been redirected.
Forwarding with masking secures that your domain name remains in a visitor's
browser's address bar when the visitor is being redirected. That way,
the actual destination address is concealed from the user who only sees
the domain name from which he or she is being forwarded. If you are using
regular forwarding, the destination address, not your domain name, is
displayed when the visitor is redirected. So if, for example, the destination
Web page has the address http://members.geocities.com/users/username,
that address can be hidden and www.yourdomain.com can be shown instead.
To manage your domain name account, select
"Manage My Account" from the program menu. The account management
menu encompasses the following items:
Domain Names — Displays a list of registered domain names. Select
from the list to modify contact information, modify name servers, renew
domain registrations, cancel domain registrations, and change domain
ownership.
Parked Pages — Enables setup of parked pages, including creation
of one-page web site.
Domain Forwarding — Enables management of forwarded domain names.
Customer Information — Allows you to review and update your
customer profile, including name, address, etc.
Order History — Displays receipts from your prior purchases.
Payment Information — Enables you to update the credit card
information on file for your account.
You will need your user name, password and/or customer number and email
address in order to perform the above actions.
If your domain is registered with another
registrar:
Go to your registrar's Web site and do a "Whois" lookup
on your domain name.
If you do not remember who your registrar is, you can find the information
by doing a "Whois" lookup here. Just click the "Whois"
link at bottom of any page.
If your domain is registered with US:
Click the "Manage Your Account" link.
Select "Domain Names."
Login with your domain name user name and password.
A complete list of your registered domain names and their expiration
dates will be displayed.
Can I purchase a domain before
I get a hosting provider?
You can register and purchase as many domains
names as you'd like and choose to have them parked until you have found
a hosting provider. To do so, register a domain name and select "Parking."
If this option is chosen, a temporary web page will be displayed while
you finish creating your site, sell the domain, etc. The temporary site
will inform anyone passing by that this is the future location of your
site. The temporary site will be active 24-48 hours after you have completed
the purchase.
If you have forgotten your account password,
click "Forgot your login name or password" on the login screen.
Enter the domain name. The login information will then be emailed to your
domain's administrative contact.
How do I forward or redirect a
domain name to my current Web site?
To forward or redirect visitors from your parked
domain to an already existing Web site, select domain
name forwarding. If you prefer to conceal the destination for the
address from the visitor and only display your domain name, you can choose
forwarding with masking.
Please follow these directions to set up the domain name forwarding:
Select "Manage My Account" from the program menu.
Click "Domain Forwarding."
Log in using your customer number or email address, and password.
Select "Set Up Forwarding."
From the drop-down list, select the domain name you are forwarding.
Enter the URL you want your domain name to point to.
Click "Save Settings."
It will take approximately 15 minutes before updates are implemented.
Will my name and contact information
be Made publicly available?
Information about who is responsible for domain
names is publicly available to allow rapid resolution of technical problems
and to permit enforcement of consumer protection, trademark, and other
laws. The registrar will make this information available to the public
on a "Whois" site. It is, however, possible to register a domain
in the name of a third party, as long as the third party agrees to accept
responsibility — consult your registrar for further details.
If you select a domain name that is already
taken, a link ("already taken, click here for info") to the
"Whois" function will appear. You will then be able to look
up the contact details of that domain's owner.
What can I do if I have misspelled
my domain name?
Your domain-name registration is submitted as
soon as you complete the registration process. The registrar is required
to pay the registration fee at that time. Therefore, your domain name
cannot be changed after you complete the registration.
You will have to register the correct spelling if you want that domain
name. This registrar cannot offer any refunds for misspelled domain names.
ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) defines
how disputes over domain-name registrations are resolved in the global
top-level domains (.biz, .com, .info, .name, .name, .net, .org, .pro,
and .ws, as well as .aero, .coop, and .museum). In accordance with the
Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, you can dispute a claim
to a domain name by following the dispute process. The UDRP does not apply
to country-code top-level domains, except in a few cases where the local
administrator has decided to adopt it. Please see the dispute policy for
more information.
If you can prove that the trademark in question
is yours, you may be able to bring a dispute against the registrant. For
more information on how to bring a dispute against another party, please
see the dispute policy.
